Dry-storage box



8, 1950 F. o. ANDEREGG 2,517,537

DEF-STORAGE BOX Filed April 9. 1947 IN V EN TOR.

FRED ICK 0. ANDEREGG BY 41 ffiu ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 8, 1950 DRY-STORAGE BOX Frederick 0. Andercgg', Sumerville, N. J., assignor to John B. Pierce Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 9, 1917, Serial No. 740,502

This invention relates to storage boxes; and particularly to those designed to prevent normally dry food products, such as crackers, or other normally dry items from becoming dampand soggy in humid weather.

It is an object of the invention to provide a storage box of this type that will be highly efiecetive in use.

It is a further object to provide the same of relatively simple construction, susceptible of relatively low cost production and operation and possessing easily cleansed, substantially unencumbered storage space.

A feature of theinvention is the provision of a porous wall section between the interior of the box and an exterior duct for warm air, together with means for lowering the vapor pressure of the water vapor in the interior air of the box adjacent such porous wall section, whereby moisture content of such interiorair is condensed on the interior surface of said wall sectionand passes through the pores of the wall section to be evaporated by the warm air flowing through the exterior duct.

These and further objects and features of the invention will be considered hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred construction of dry-storage box pursuant to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with cover removed and ing affording access to the interior.- Asillustrated, the box ID is rectangular in shape and of sheet metal construction provided with a removable and replaceable tight-fitting, telescopic cover ll.

One corner of the box It is arranged to be partitioned off diagonally by a porous wall member I 2 extending from top to bottom of the box. For accommodating such wall member 12 and retaining it removably in position, internallyextending channel guideways I3, are provided at the particular box corner portion concerned, advantageously by securing separately formed channel elements to the interior faces of the box side walls at that location, so the porous wall member may be slipped into and out of position from the open top when the box is uncovered.

The bottom wall M of the box I0 is cut short 3 Claims. (01. 34-44) diagonally at the corner concerned, beingadvantageously bent upwardly to provide a substantially sealing flange I do at the lower outer margin of the porous wall I 2. That corner portion of the box bottom is left open, providing the lower opening of a warm air duct l5. I

The box cover H is also cut short diagonally at the corner concerned, so that the vvarmair duct I 5 has an upper opening. It is advantageously bent downwardly to provide a corresponding substantially sealing flange Ila at the upper outer margin of the porous wall [2.

The porous wall [2 is porous in the sense that interconnecting pore passagesextend fromone face of the wall to the other. To that extent it is pervious to the passage of moisture. An ideal material for such wall is that produced under the trade-mark Microporite? as fully described in U. S. Patents No. 1,932,971 and No 2,105,325 both issued to Hutteman et al., or the somewhat similar specially processed dehumidifying material set forth in my U. s. Patent No. 2,255,041 issued under date of Sept. 9, 1941. In such materialsa network of interconnected microscopic pores is provided throughout a cementitious body. Other materials of like nature may also be employed,

Means are provided within the box for reducing the vapor pressure of the water vapor in the interior air thereof to such an extent as to cause condensation of such contained moisture at the interior wall surface of the porous wall [2. Such means advantageously take the form of a cooling coil l6 disposed in close proximity to the inner wall face of the porous wall [2. Such coil may be arranged for connection by suitable means (not shown) to the usual domestic water supply, whereby ordinary cold tap water will pass through the coil and cool it sufficiently for the purpose intended. Where a fairly large quantity of water is used domestically, sufiicient cooling may be obtained by merely connecting the coil into the normal supply piping system.

The warm air duct 15 may be supplied with heated air in any suitable manner. For instance a heating coil I I, disposed within such duct 15 in proximity to the exterior face of the porous wall l2 and arranged for connection by suitable means (not shown) to a source of supply of hot water, may produce the desired circulation of warm air through the duct. If enough hot water is used domestically to keep the supply pipes hot, such heating coil I! may be merely connected into the hot water supply piping. In many instances, however, it may be preferable to substitute for the coil 11 a tiny gas flame at the bottom of the duct.

It will be noted that the interior of the box It) location and circumstances of use.

porous wall is substantially unobstructed by the operative parts of the apparatus, that is to say, the operative partseffectively arranged as they are at one corner of the box-occupy a minimum of space and do not obstruct the box interior. Accordingly, a maximum of storage space is afforded. In fact, the cooling coil we may even be embedded in the interior face portion of the porous wall l2. This will not only provide slightly more storage space, but will actually add to the operating efficiency of the device. For the latter reason, the heating coil may also be arranged in the same manner with respect to the exterior face portion of the porous wall.

In practice, the working parts of the box need be kept in operation only so long as necessary to effect the desired results, such operation ordinarily being intermittent with the intervals determined by observation. Obviously the length of .anyperiod of operation .or the frequency of the operative intervals will vary according to the These can ,be easily ascertained by a user and adjusted to meet the need. Whentheworking arts are not .inoperation, theiinterior of the box isprotected fromjthe atmosphereby the tight fitting cover l I.

The porous wall .t2,.it will be noted, does not afford .free access of .air to the interiorof the .box, for itsporosity .is of microscopic or submicroscopic character and its thickness is sub- =.stantial-ordinarily notless than A; inch.

.In operation, the interior air of the box i2 is relieved of moisture by reason of the fact that cooling coil .lfilowers the vapor pressure of the water vapor to the point of moisture condensation, which latteroccurs at the interior face of IE. .Such condensed moisture is caused .topass through the porous wall and .to

.be; evaporated .at the exterior face thereof by .reasonof the .warm air passing through duct i5,

which again raises the vaporpressure of the waterand carries it away as Vapor.

-.'Obviously, the tight-fitting cover I! may be replacedwbya tight-closing door or otherclosure in any. appropriate one or more of the wall panels .of thebox.

.Iclaim:

1...A .dr-yestorage 1 container .cornprising .a substantially air-tight box equipped with a tight- .fitting closureaffording access to its interior; a porous-wall portion .disposeddiagonally across a .cornerrofsaid box thereby partitioning the box .cornersfrorn the remainder of said boxand defining a warm airduct through said storage box, said porous .wall portion having a substantially microscopic interconnected pore structure separatingthe warm air duct which it defines from the interior .of said storage box; and means proximate the interior face of..said porous .wall

portion forreducing the vapor pressure of water 4 vapor held by the air within said storage box to an extent that the water vapor in such air condenses substantially thereat.

2. A dry-storage container comprising a substantially air-tight box equipped with a tightfitting closure affording access to .its interior; channel guideways disposed interiorly of said box bordering a corner thereof; a porous wall portion disposed in said channel guideways diagonally across the corner of said box, thereby partitioning the box corner from the remainder of said box and defining a warm air duct through said storage box, said porous wall portion having a substantially microscopic interconnected pore structure separating the warm air duct which it defines from the interior of said storage box; and

a cooling coil disposed substantially against the interior face of said porous wall portion for reducing the vaporpressure of water vapor held by the air withinsaid storage box to an extent that the water'vapor in such air condenses sub- .box borderinga corner thereat; a porous 'wall portion disposed in said channel ,guideways diagonally across the corner oisaid box, thereby partitioning thebox corner from the remainder of said box and defining a warm air duct through said storage box, said porous WaILportiQnhaVing asubstantially microscopic interconnected pore structure separating the warm air duct which it defines from the interior of saidjstorage' box; the bottom and top of said box terminating short of the corner portion or said'box; the corner-forming side walls of said box thereby defining an open-ended duct contiguous with the exterior face of said porous wall portion; and means for passing warmair through the duct so "defined.

FREDERICK'O. ANDEREGG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references vareofrecord inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Switzerland Feb. 22, 19 111 

